Bahraini protesters slam ‘Saudi occupation’

Bahraini protesters have held demonstrations to protest against what they call Saudi Arabia’s occupation of the country.

The protests took place in the village of Sanabis on the outskirts of the capital, Manama,

as well as the northeastern island of Sitra.

The demonstrations came ahead of March 13, which has been designated as national day of resistance against Saudi military deployment in Bahrain.

Bahraini uprising started in mid-February 2011. On March 13 that year, forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were dispatched to the country at Manama’s request to quell nationwide protests.

Last month, Amnesty International denounced the “relentless repression” of anti-regime protesters in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom, blaming Bahraini security forces for their repeated use of “excessive force to quash anti-government protests.”

On February 14, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also called on the Bahraini regime to respect its “international human rights obligations” in dealing with peaceful protests in the country.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed by regime forces since the uprising broke out.